Rumor: Apple developing FM radio app for iPhone and iPod touch

Well, you know about rumors: they're sometimes baseless. But this one seems to make sense. After all, both the iPhone and iPod touch already have an FM receiver built in. Why not an app to let you tune in radio stations? According to 9to5Mac, Apple is working on just such an app. So what's the holdup? They're trying to program it so that you can purchase music from within the app. Of course, you can already get streaming radio stations via apps such as Wunder Radio. But the FM app will be over-the-air, such that you can tune in local radio stations. If you have an iPod touch, for example, you won't need to be near a wireless hotspot. You'll get the signal just like any other radio.

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Jim Karpen holds a Ph.D. in literature and writing, and has a love of gizmos. His doctoral dissertation focused on the revolutionary consequences of digital technologies and anticipated some of the developments taking place in the industry today. Jim has been writing about the Internet and technology since 1994 and has been using Apple's visionary products for decades.